The Individual’s Existentialist Struggle Rooted in Fear Essays

The Individual’s Existentialist Struggle Rooted in Fear Essays

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The individual is naturally comprised of a conglomeration of cumbersome and distressing emotions, such as fear and distress. It is within inane circumstances that human beings are able to experience inherent fear. In moments of fear, people are able to apply existentialist thought, for it is through fear in which people decide to act. Existentialism is a philosophical theory that is governed by authenticity, which is that the existence of a person is determined through the acts of their own will (“Existentialism”). Throughout literature, existentialist theorists are able to portray the capacity that inherent fear plays upon the human condition.
Fear is the capital reason humans choose to act. People are biologically programmed to respond to fear-inducing situations. Human beings act out of emotion, motivating them to act. An emotion such as fear is stimulated through the thalamus, which then sends a signal to the cerebral cortex that produces the feelings associated with events, whether those be feelings pertaining to sadness or glee (Klein, Stephen B. and Michael Thorne 424). Humans, of all around the world suffer from the biological and spontaneous reactions that fear, or rather most emotions, creates. No one is omitted from the unconscious actions that the mind establishes. It is not only emotion that allows the mind to control the will, but it is through feelings that the individual truly breaks away from the subconscious need to fit in with society and discover themselves in a world where existence itself is a questionable idea.
As individuals experience emotions, emotions lead to feelings that are the true thoughts that motivate the single person to act further than their emotional state’s abilities. People are, in...

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- Some people will go far in order to get what they want, but how many individuals would be willing to die for the sake of creating their own fate. Deciding one’s meaning of life with sincerity and passion is the core of existentialism. This philosophy plays an integral part in Hemingway’s writing, as well as his personal life. Paradigms of existentialism appear often in Hemingway’s book, The Old Man and the Sea, especially when Santiago, the old man, is determined to fell the great marlin he pursues, wants to prove to Manolin how much of a strange old man he is, and contends against the brutal sharks when there is little chance of him succeeding.... [tags: Existentialist Views, Santiago]

- The Merriam – Webster Dictionary defines existentialism as a chiefly 20th century philosophical movement embracing diverse doctrines but centering on analysis of individual existence in an unfathomable universe and the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for acts of free will without any certain knowledge of what is right or wrong or good or bad (Merriam, 2011). In other words, an existentialist believes that our natures are the natures we make for ourselves, the meaning of our existence is that we just exist and there may or may not be a meaning for the existence, and we have to individually decide what is right or wrong and good or bad for ourselves.... [tags: Philosophy ]

- Albert Camus is considered one of the greatest existentialist writers of all time. However, although he was considered an existentialist writer, Camus never labeled himself as an existentialist. “No, I am not an existentialist” (Albert Camus: Lyrical and Critical Essays, Vintage (1970)) Camus rejected in an 1945 interview, however in some of his literary works, some find that his writings are one of a true existentialistic thinker. Although many contrast these thoughts and believe that Camus was anything but a thinker of this philosophy, Camus is one of the main authors that people turn to research and read to understand the thinking of existentialism.... [tags: Existentialist Writer]

- Existentialism is a phiosophy which revolves around the central belief that we create ourselves. External factors are not important. It is the way that we let external factors affect us that determines who we are. As individuals we all have the freedom to choose our own path and that is what life is all about. Along with the freedom of choice comes the responsibilty of one's actions which can make some people anxious but give others meaning to their lives. To overcome this anxiousness and accept responsibilty is to meet the challenges of life and to truly live it.... [tags: Existentialism, ]

- III. The aim of this essay is to clearly distinguish the characteristics of existentialist thought and demonstrate whether belief in God amounts to inauthentic escapism. Existentialist thought comes from the philosophical concept of existentialism. Notably, Existentialism is a philosophical approach that emphasizes mostly on individual existence, choices and freedom. The viewpoint of this philosophy is that humans describe their own purpose in life while trying to make rational decisions even though we live in an irrational world.... [tags: Ethics, Virtue, Nicomachean Ethics, Existentialism]

- Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a tragic play about murder, betrayal, revenge, madness, and moral corruption. It touches upon philosophical ideas such as existentialism and relativism. Prince Hamlet frequently questions the meaning of life and the degrading of morals as he agonizes over his father’s murder, his mother’s incestuous infidelity, and what he should or shouldn’t do about it. At first, he is just depressed; still mourning the loss of his father as his mother marries his uncle. After he learns about the treachery of his uncle and the adultery of his mother, his already negative countenance declines further.... [tags: Shakespearean Literature ]

- Existentialism tends to focus on the question of human existence — the feeling that there is no purpose, indeed nothing, at the core of existence. The term itself suggests one major theme: the stress on concrete individual existence and, consequently, on subjectivity, individual freedom, and choice. Sartre did not believe in God, so there was no place for the essence of humanity to be before human existence. For Existentialists like Sartre, the absence of God has a much larger significance than the metaphysics of creation.... [tags: Existentialism]

- Existentialism in Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe presents his audience with an interesting twist to a contemporary school of thought in his work Things Fall Apart. This post-colonization narrative incorporates several traits that revolt against normative philosophic systems and tralititious theories and beliefs of the existence of man and his place in the universe. Achebe's efforts are characterized by a small diverse group of writers that purge realizations of predestination, and instead define man's existence by identifying his independent choices throughout the life course. Achebe's style, although peculiar in one sense, can be defined in relation to the school of... [tags: Things Fall Apart essays]

- Do we matter. Do we seek personal happiness in life. These are questions from existentialism. The dictionary defines existentialism as an individual’s experience filled with isolation in a hostile universe where a human being attempts to find true self and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. Hamlet is an existentialist character who believes that he is forced to avenge his father’s death and the hatred builds in his heart because of the many betrayals which direct him towards a senseless life and constant thoughts about suicide; this ultimately leads to his demise and he is left with naught.... [tags: Existentialism]

- Existentialism 'Existence precedes essence'. These are the few words that many people live by. These words describe a philosophy called Existentialism. The philosophical term, Existentialism, came from Jean Paul Sartre, a French philosopher. Jean Paul Sartre wrote 'No Exit', where he portrayed his philosophy negatively. On the other hand, Albert Camus, who wrote The Stranger, portrayed Existentialism positively through his characters. Each author uses the characteristics of Existentialism positively or negatively to define their own story as well as their characters as true Existentialists or not Existentialism has been described as a philosophical movement especially of the 20th cent... [tags: Philosophy Sartre Existentialist Essays]